Donna Farrakhan Speaks During 2012 Saviours’ Day Celebration

Donna Farrakhan, daughter of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, spoke to young women at the MGT-GCC (Muslim Girls Training & General Civilization Course) Saturday in Rosemont, Illinois as part of the 2012 Saviours’ Day weekend activities.

Minister Farrakhan will deliver the keynote address today at 2:00 p.m. at the United Center Arena in Chicago. His speech is entitled, “What Will 2012 Bring to America, The World and Black and Oppressed People.”

Shareef Nasir, CEO of Mizan Studios, illuminated the role of the MGT-GCC in his groundbreaking documentary, “Lost Found: An African-American’s Journey to Al-Islam.” In an exclusive interview, he spoke with me about how the African-American experience has shaped the way that women are treated in the Nation of Islam and Al-Islam, as opposed to traditional Islam:

Because of the shared history of African-Americans in the United States, how [Muslims in the Middle East] view women, and how they treat women, is different from ours. There is a different global perspective that is different from ours. As you see in “Lost-Found,” there are sisters in high positions of power. Such as Saffiya Shahid, and Ayesha K. Mustafaa, she is the head honcho at the Muslim Journal. In the film, by highlighting the MGT-GCC, I wanted to show that women were, and still are, the foundation of the NOI, and subsequently, Al-Islam.”

Established by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the Saviours’ Day celebration commemorates the birth of Nation of Islam founder Master W. Fard Muhammad (February 26, 1877). Previous speakers include Malcolm X, who later left the Nation of Islam due to an irreversible rift with Honorable Elijah Muhammad, to form Muslim Mosque, Inc. and the Organization of African-American Unity (OAAU) and Wallace Muhammad, son of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, who disbanded the NOI in 1976.

Leadership was transferred to Wallace by his father on the day of his death, February 25, 1975. Changing his name to Imam W. Deen Mohammed — to better reflect his traditional Islamic beliefs — he restructured the NOI as an orthodox Muslim sect, the World Community of Al-Islam — later renamed the American Society of Muslims. Minister Farrakhan, not content with the direction of the NOI, formed a replica of the original Nation of Islam under his leadership.

Saviours’ Day is celebrated by both the NOI and the American Society of Muslims.

For those who would like to view Minister Farrakhan’s 2012 Saviours’ Day keynote, please click here: